Trend over time

Cancer of unknown primary is the 5th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 6% of all cancer deaths (2016).[1-3]

In males in the UK, cancer of unknown primary is the 6th most common cause of cancer death (5% of all male cancer deaths). In females in the UK it is the 4th most common cause of cancer death (6% of all female cancer deaths).

47% of cancer of unknown primary deaths in the UK are in males, and 53% are in females.

Cancer of unknown primary mortality rates (European age-standardised (AS) rates ) for persons are significantly higher than the UK average in Wales, and similar to the UK average in all other UK constituent countries.

Cancer Of Unknown Primary (C77-C80), Number of Deaths, Crude and European Age-Standardised (AS) Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2016

About this data

Cancer of unknown primary mortality is strongly related to age, with the highest mortality rates being in older people. In the UK in 2014-2016, on average each year 6 in 10 (60%) deaths were in people aged 75 and over.[1-3] This largely reflects higher incidence and lower survival for cancer of unknown primary in older people.

Age-specific mortality rates rise steadily from around age 40-44 and more steeply from around age 65-69. The highest rates are in the 90+ age group for males and females.

Mortality rates are significantly higher in males than females in a number of (mainly older) age groups. The gap is widest at age 90+, when the age-specific mortality rate is 1.4 times higher in males than females.

Cancer Of Unknown Primary (C77-C80), Average Number of Deaths per Year and Age-Specific Mortality Rates per 100,000 Population, UK, 2014-2016

About this data

Cancer of Unknown Primary European age-standardised (AS) mortality rates for males and females combined increased by 88% in the UK between 1971-1973 and 2014-2016.[1-3] The increase was larger in females than in males.

For males, cancer of unknown primary AS mortality rates in the UK increased by 77% between 1971-1973 and 2014-2016. For females, cancer of unknown primary AS mortality rates in the UK increased by 97% between 1971-1973 and 2014-2016.

Over the last decade in the UK (between 2004-2006 and 2014-2016), cancer of unknown primary AS mortality rates for males and females combined decreased by 35%. In males AS mortality rates decreased by 37%, and in females rates decreased by 33%.

For cancer of unknown primary, mortality trends largely reflect overall cancer mortality trends, coupled with improvements in diagnosis reducing the proportion of deaths where the specific cancer implicated is not known. For example, rising cancer of unknown primary mortality may reflect rising overall cancer mortality and stable proportion of cancer deaths where the specific cancer implicated is not known, while falling mortality of cancer of unknown primary may reflect rising mortality but a falling proportion of cancer deaths where the specific cancer implicated is not known.

Cancer of Unknown Primary mortality rates have increased overall in most broad adult age groups in males and females combined in the UK since the early 1970s, but have remained stable in some.[1-3] Rates in 25-49s have increased by 15%, in 50-59s have remained stable, in 60-69s have increased by 30%, in 70-79s have increased by 77%, and in 80+s have increased by 208%.

About this data

There is evidence for an association between cancer of unkown primary (CUP) mortality and deprivation for both males and females in England.[1] England-wide data for 2007-2011 show European age-standardised mortality rates are 76% higher for males living in the most deprived areas compared with the least deprived, and 61% higher for females.[1]

The estimated deprivation gradient in CUP mortality between people living in the most and least deprived areas in England has not changed in the period 2002-2011.[1] It has been estimated that there would have been around 1,700 fewer cancer deaths each year in England during 2007-2011 if all people experienced the same mortality rates as the least deprived.[1]

References

About this data

Data is for: UK, 2007-2011, ICD-10 C77-C80

Deprivation gradient statistics were calculated using mortality data for 2007-2011. The deprivation quintiles were calculated using the Income domain scores from the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) from the following years: 2004, 2007 and 2010. Full details on the data and methodology can be found in the Cancer by Deprivation in England NCIN report.

Cancer stats explained

Citation

You are welcome to reuse this Cancer Research UK content for your own work.
Credit us as authors by referencing Cancer Research UK as the primary source. Suggested styles are:

Web content: Cancer Research UK, full URL of the page, Accessed [month] [year].Publications: Cancer Research UK ([year of publication]), Name of publication, Cancer Research UK.Graphics (when reused unaltered): Credit: Cancer Research UK.Graphics (when recreated with differences): Based on a graphic created by Cancer Research UK.

When Cancer Research UK material is used for commercial reasons, we encourage a donation to our life-saving research.
Send a cheque payable to Cancer Research UK to: Cancer Research UK, Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London, EC1V 4AD or

Quick links

Follow us

Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666) and the Isle of Man (1103). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London EC1V 4AD.